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Hayes' recent transgressions spark a media firestorm. Meanwhile, she and the team tackle the highly sensitive case of a mother, Penny, convicted for the death of her autistic son. The state's most compelling evidence originated from Penny's own video blog, expressing her frustrations and fears about her violent son. While the CIU team tracks multiple leads, Hayes must do damage control in an attempt to save her job, which results in a primetime interview. The outcome of both the interview and the case have shocking endings with lasting repercussions.[1]

The CIU works on the case of Penny Price, a stay-at-home mom who vlogged about taking care of her violent, autistic son, Owen. Penny was charged with second degree murder by leaving a bottle of soy sauce outside, which Owen drank entirely. However, Frankie finds out from the case's toxicologist that Owen did not die from a sodium overdose, but from a lack of sugar due to an insulin shot. They go to Penny's husband, Greg Price, a pharmacist who was having an affair, as well as Owen's caretaker, Eduardo, whose daughter had dangerously low insulin levels on the day of Owen's murder. Hayes realizes that the only person with means and motive was Penny's daughter, Emily. Penny tells Emily to keep quiet, and says that she will take the blame, telling Hayes that her daughter deserves a life. Meanwhile, Hayes must juggle solving the case and working with her brother, Jackson, to prepare for a "mea culpa" television interview. Jackson drills her on what to wear — the right suit and her mother's pearls, what to say and how to say it. During the interview she uses her charm and the rehearsed responses until her lies and the pearls begin to choke her. She then tells the truth about privilege. This action hurts her mother's campaign and throws Wallace under the bus. When she goes to Wallace to hand over her resignation, Wallace tells her that she gets to keep her job as her intervew started a tread of #HayesKeepsItReal but got every case of Wallace under investigation. Later, Hayes goes home to Jackson's apartment, only to find that he has kicked her out.